Talking to Yourself

THE SECRET OF SELF TALK by Steven Gilman

What is self talk? Something we all do. You are telling yourself things all the time, and your unconscious mind is listening without arguing.What you tell yourself affects the quality of your life, and your abilities as well. Don't you think you should pay more attention to that internal dialog?
What are you primarily using, positive self-talk or negative self-talk? Look at the example below of some of the things that positive and negative people say. Notice the difference, because when you do, you'll start to understand how "mere words" can affect your life.
Examples Of Negative Self Talk
Negative self talk often involves explaining bad things by internalizing them ("There I go again."). It treats bad things as permanent ("It's always the same."). It generalizes ("Work sucks."). When explaining good things, negative people often externalize them ("That was just lucky."). They consider them temporary ("That went well THIS TIME."). They see them only in a specific context ("Well at least that part went right."). Some more examples of negative self talk:
"I always screw up when I meet someone new."
"This is fun for now."
"This place is great, not like mine."
"Well, at least THAT meeting went okay, I guess."
"I picked the wrong lane like I always do."
"This nice weather can't last."
Examples Of Positive Self Talk
Positive self-talk explains bad things by externalizing them ("The weather stopped the picnic."). It considers them temporary ("Those were a few tough hours."). It sees them as isolated ("Well, THAT part didn't work out, but..."). When positive people explain good things, they internalize them ("My life is going great!"). They consider them as more or less permanent changes ("Now I've got the hang of this."). They generalize from them ("This job is really working out well."). Some more examples of positive self-talk:
"I did well on that test."
"I like the way things are going at work."
"This could be a great business to be in."
"That problem was just due to technical problems."
"It was rough, but only for an hour or two."
"It rained, but the trip was fun."
You don't have to believe that your self talk makes a difference. If you are just willing to watch, you will see the evidence for yourself. Explain things to yourself in a positive constructive way, and you'll see a difference in your attitude today. Make positive self talk a habit and you'll see a difference in your life.
Steve Gillman writes on many topics including brainpower, weight loss, meditation, habits of mind, creative problem solving, generating luck and anything related to self improvement. Learn more and get FREE e-courses at http://www.selfimprovementnow.com/